Clothes wringer



Au 4, 1931. T w BE N 1,317,604

CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Ffib. 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 XNVENTOR 7190/1/15 W 55/14 BY 7/Lm/w' 6 12a ATTORNEY ,1931. T. w. BEHAN 1,817,604

CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Feb. 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. w. BEHAN Aug. 4, 1931.'

CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Feb. 28, 1928 I) Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS W. BEHAN, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NINETEEN HUNDRED I CORPORATION, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK cLoTnEs wamena Application filed Ilsebruary 28, 1928. Serial No. 257,665.

This invention relates to two rollmachines generally, and particularly to clothes wringers of the power driven type. For convenience I shall limit my description of the invention to its application to clothes wringers. It is understood, however, that the invention is equally applicable to other types of two roll machines. 7

It has been customary for some years to provide power driven clothes wringers, one of whose rolls is normally pressed by strong spring pressure toward the other, with some sort of trip or release mechanism which may be operated in an emergency, as when the operators hand, or an excessive thickness of clothing comes between the rolls, for the purpose of releasing that pressure and also, in the most improved designs, for actually separating the rolls. After the emergency has passed, the rolls must be returned to operative position and the spring pressure for pressing one roll toward the other must be reestablished. Heretofore this restoration of the wringer to operative condition has always been accomplished manually. And because of the relatively high spring pressures involved it has been a severe tax upon the strength of the operators (usually women). The main object of my present invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the power which normally operates the wringer is utilized to restore the wringer to operative position after it has been'tripped, thus relieving the operator of all physical effort. Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the description which follows.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one form WlllCh my invention may take as aplied to the particular clothes wringer shown. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is applicable to any form of quick release wringer and that the particular mechanism by which my novel result is attained may be modified widely without departure from my invention. 7

Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly in section; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the parts being in difierent posi tions in these two figures; and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 1, the parts being in difierent positions in these three figures.

The particular wringer illustrated in the drawings has its lower roll 10 and its upper roll 11 mounted in the same general manner as the wringer illustrated in the Doughty Patent No. 1,542,439 of June 16, 1925. That is (Figs. 3, 4) the upper roll is the roll which is moved away when the trip is operated and the rolls separated, whereas, when the rolls are in operative position the upper roll is the rigidly held one, and the lower roll is the one to which spring pressure .is applied. The pressure applying means in this case include the leaf spring 12 and the adjusting device 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, which are fully described in the copending application of Herman Doughty, Serial No. 257,589 filed February 28, 1928, and form no part of the present invention.

Power'for driving the wringer rolls is derived from the conventional vertical driving shaft 18 which is usually geared to the driving motor and continuously driven by it.

Loosely mounted on the shaft are the usual bevel gears 19, 20, both of which mesh with the roll-driving bevel gear 21. Between the two gears 19, 20, and keyed to the shaft 18 is the usual slidable clutch member 22. In the position shown in Fig. 1 it is clutched to the lower bevel gear 19 to drive the driving bevel gear for the rolls in one direction. When raised to an intermediate position this sliding clutch cuts off power from the driving gear 21, and from the wringer rolls, and when raised to clutch with the upper bevel gear 20, it causes the roll-driving gear 21, and the rolls, to rotate in the opposite direction. This clutch is shifted, at will, through the stud 23, 1

gears 24, 25, and hand wheel or lever 26. The drive from the driving gear 21 to the wringer rolls is, in the particular wrin er illustrated,

however, any suitable means may be employed for transmitting power to the rolls.

I shall now describe the means illustrated for normally holding the movable upper roll 11 in operative position and for tripping or releasing it when desired.

The upper roll is mounted in any suitable kind of bearings which are slidable up and down in the wringer frame. These bearings preferably include the revoluble members 28, 28, which are concentric with the shaft of the upper roll and are provided with upstanding arms 29, 29. Each of these arms 29 is pivotally connected to a link member 30 secured to stub shafts 31, 31615 which are mounted in the wringer frame. Thus the stub shafts 31, 31a are connected to the bearings of the upper roll by linkages 30, 29, in the nature of toggles so that rotation of the stub shafts 31, 31a will cause the elevation or depression of the upper roll.

Both of the stub shafts 31, 31a are secured to a bail 32 extending across the machine. Springs 32a surrounding the stub shafts 31, 31a tend to turn the bail 32 and the stub shafts in a direction to raise the upper wringer roll 11. When the parts are in operative position, however, such rotation is prevented, and the upper roll is held fixed in its operative position by the abutment of the pin 33 (at the center of the bail 32) against the stop lever 34 which is normally held in the path of the pin 33 by the spring 35. A two armed trip lever 36 is pivotally mounted on the top of the frame of the machine. This trip lever has two depending lugs 37', 37, and the arrangement is preferably such that the depression of either arm of the lever 36 will, through the contact of the corresponding lug 37 with the intermediate member 38, cause the stop lever 34 to be moved out of the path of the pin 33 of the bail 32. The stop lever 34 may be of any suitable construction. As shown, it comprises the stop member which engages the pin 33 and the intermediate member 38 to which it is rigidly secured, the lever as a whole being pivoted on the shaft 38a. This releases the bail 32 and the stub shafts 31, 31a to which it is secured and permits the springs 32a; to rotate the stub shafts 31, 31a which, in turn, through the members 30, 29, now elevate the upper roll (Fig. 4).

Secured to the stub shaft 31a is the spur gear 39, which meshes with a similar gear 40 secured to the shaft 41. Also secured to the shaft 41 is the cam 42 whose follower 43- is mounted upon the shifting lever 44 for the clutch 27 previously referred to. The rotation of the stub shaft 310, to elevate the upper roll rotates the gears 39, 46 and the shaft 41 and cam 42 so that the latter, through its fol lower 43. causes the lever 44 to disengage the clutch 27 and thus cut off power from the rolls simultaneously with their separation.

We now come to the means which constitute the gist of my invention, namely, the means for applying the driving power of the wringer to restore the wringer to operative condition after it has been tripped. When I use the expression to restore the wringer to operative condition, I mean to do whatever is necessary to reestablish operative conditions. The means for applying the driving power to this purpose include some of the elements already described.

Generally speaking. the means for accomplishing this consist of elements for temporairily, and at will, connecting up the shaft 41 with the continuously driven power shaft 18. The shaft 41, it willbe remembered, has secured to it the gear 40 which meshes with the gear 39 which, in turn, is secured to the stub shaft 31a. Through this chain of elements the rotation of the shaft 41 by the power shaft 18 causes the rotation of the stub shaft 31a and (through the bail 32) the stub shaft 31, in the proper direction to return the roll 11 to its operative position through the linkages 29, 28. When this has been accomplished the stop lever 34 again places itself in the path of the pin 33 of the bail 32 and thus locks the parts in place. The wringer has now been restored to operative condition.

In order to make possible the establishment of a driving connection between the shafts 41 and 18, the latter is made longer than usual in that it continues beyond the conventional upper bevel gear 20, and is provided with a bearing 45 at the top of the gear casing. Near the top of this extended shaft 18 there is secured to it the bevel gear 46 which meshes with the bevel gear 47. The bevel gear 47 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 41 but is provided with a clutching device which, when the restoring button 48 (extreme left of Fig. 1) is depressed, is rendered operative to clutch the gear 47 to the shaft 41 for a sufficient length of time to bring about the restoration of the wringer as previously described.

The clutching device between the gear 47 and the shaft 41 is best shown in Figs. 1 and 6, in the latter of which the parts are shown in the positions which they occupy when the wringer rolls are separated. As shown in Fig. 6, the gear neck 48 is provided with two driving projections 49, 49. Secured to the shaft 41 is the clutch member 50 (three-legged in form) upon which are pivotally mounted the dog 51 and the restraining lever 52. The spring 53 tends to force the active ends of the dog 51 and the lever 52 toward the shaft 41, but, as shown in Fig. 6, the lever 52 normally holds the dog 51 sufficiently far away from that shaft that it does not lie in the path of the driving projections 49, 49.

Disposed above the end 52a of the restraining lever 52 is a vertically movable yoke member 53. which is guided by the pin 54 and pivotally connected at its lower end to the bell crank lever 55 which is pivoted to the frame at 56. The restoring button 48 is on the end of the spring held plunger 57 which is provided at its inner end with an enlargement 58 adapted to contact with the plate 59 on the bell crank lever 55. When the button 48 is depressed to restore the wringer, the enlargement 58 pushes the bell crank lever in a clockwise direction. This depresses the yoke member 53a and (Fig. 7) causes it to depress the end 52a of therestraining lever 52 and thus move the operative end of that lever out of the way of the dog 51. This permits the spring 53 to move the dog into the path of the projections 49, 49, with the result that one of those projections strikes the dog as the gear 47 rotates and carries the clutch member 50 and the shaft 41 with it, to restore the wringer.

The engagement of this clutching device is but temporary, however, continuing only long enough to restore the wringer. When that time arrives, the parts have reached the positions shown in Fig. 5, at which point the lug 60 on the dog 51 strikes the abutment 61, with the result that the dog is moved out of the path of the projections 49 and the restraining lever drops back into position to retain the dog inactive. The parts remain in their positions, just described, so long as the wringer remains in operative position. Depression of the restoring button 48 under these circumstances has no effect, for (Fig. 5) depression of the yoke 53a does not accomplish anything. Not until the wringer has been tripped, and the parts brought to the position of Fig. 7, does the restoring mecha nism become potentially effective.

The provision of power restoring means, as above described, will, unless suitable means are employed to prevent it,be accompanied by a new and serious danger. Since but one of the operators hands is required to accomplish the actual depression of the restoring button 48, he might carelessly place his other hand between the two rolls when depressing that button. The result would, of course, be extremely serious, for the tremendous pressure involved would crush his hand. To

'avoid any possibility of such an accidentI clude the possibility of an accident such as.

suggested above.

Referring now to these unlocking means, it will be remembered that the depression of the button 48 moves the bell crank lever 55 in a clockwise direction. Normally, however,

such movement is prevented by the spring pressed locking lever 62 (Fig. 1). A releasing lever 63 (sufficiently removed from the button 48 to make it impossible to manipulate both with the same hand) is provided for moving the locking lever 62 out of the way when it is desired to depress the restoring button 48.

Thus when an operator wishes to restore the wringer he operates the releasing lever with one hand and the button 48 with the other, so that neither ofhis hands can be between the rolls when restoration occurs.

The manner of operation of my improved mechanism for utilizing available power for restoring the wrin er to normal condition after it has been trlpped has been explained fully above. Its many advantages are obvious. In the first place, it relieves the operator of physical strain, which is often excessive and harmful. In the second place, it makes it possible to employ as strong a spring pressure as may be desired for operating conditions, without taking into consideration the question of restoration. Heretofore wringers have frequently been set with insufficient pressure for eflicient operation, simply because an adequate pressure would have taxed the operator excessively in restoration. The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

' What I claim is:

1. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls, means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, trip controlled resilient means for quickly releasing said pressure, a power shaft "for driving said rolls, and means adapted to be operated by said power shaft, at the will of the operator, for restoring said pressure.

2. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls, means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, spring operated means adapted to be tripped for releasing said pressure and quickly moving one of said rolls away from the other, a power shaft for driving said rolls, and means adapted to be operated by said power shaft, at the will of the operator, for returning said movable roll to operative position and restoring said pressure.

3. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls,-

means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, trip controlled spring means for quickly releasing said pressure, means for restoring said? pressure, a power shaft for driving said rolls, a normally disengaged clutching device interposed between said power shaft and said restoring for rendering said clutching device effective 7/ and thus bringing said restoring means into operation.

4. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls, means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, trip controlled means including devices for the storage of potential energy for quickly releasing said pressure, means for restoring said pressure, a power shaft for driving said rolls, a normally disengaged clutching device interposed between said power shaft and said restoring means, manually operated control means for rendering said clutching device effective and thus bringing said restoring means into operation, and means for automatically disengaging said clutch when the restoration has been effected.

5. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls, means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, trip controlled, tensioned means for releasing said pressure, a power shaft for driving said rolls, means adapted to be operated by said power shaft for restoring said pressure, and spaced control means requiring operation at a plurality of separated points for bringing said restoring means into operation.

6. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls, means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, tripping means for releasing said pressure, a power shaft for driving said rolls, means adapted to be operated by said power shaft for restoring said pressure, a control member operable by one hand of the operator for bringing, said restoring means into operation, and locking means releasable by the other hand of the operator for normally preventing the operation of said control member.

7. In a clothes wringer a pair of rolls, one of which is movable toward and from the other, a power shaft for driving said rolls, means for normally holding said movable roll in operative position, trip controlled means for disabling said holding means upon the operation of which the roll is freely movable from operative position, and means adapted to be operated by said power shaft.

at the will of the operator for returning said roll to operative position and rendering said holding means effective.

8. In a clothes wringer, a pair of rolls, one of which is movable toward and from operative position, a power shaft for driving said rolls, trip controlled means for normally holding the movable roll in operative position, and means adapted to be operated by the power shaft at the will .of the operator for moving said roll to operative position including a clutch and means to automatically disconnect said clutch when the roll is moved to operative position.

In a rotating roll machine, in combination, a roll movable to and from a definite operative position, a power shaft for rotating said roll, trip controlled means normally holding said roll in operative position, a device cooperating with said means adapted to be tripped to quickly release the roll, and means actuated by the power shaft to move the roll to operative position.

10. In a rotating roll machine, in combination, a roll movable to and from operative position, a power shaft for rotating said roll, trip controlled means normally holding said roll in operative position, a device cooperating with said means adapted to be tripped to release the roll, means to move the roll to operative position arranged to be connected to the power shaft to be actuated thereby, means operable at the will of the operator for controlling said roll moving means, and means for automatically disconnecting said roll moving means when the roll is restored to operative position.

11. In a roll machine a pair of rolls, yieldable means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, one of said rolls being mounted for movement to operative position against the force of said yieldable pressure means, trip controlled means for holding said roll in operative position, a power shaft for rotating said rolls, and means adapted to be operated by said power shaft at the will of the operator for moving said roll to operative position against the force of the yieldable pressure exerting means.

12. In a roll machine a pair of rolls, yieldable means for normally exerting pressure and pressing said rolls together, one of said rolls being mounted for movement to operative position against the force of said yieldable pressure means, trip controlled means for holding said roll in operative position, a power shaft for rotating said rolls, and means adapted to be operated by the power shaft at the will of the operator for moving the movable roll to operative position against the pressure exerting means, said means cooperating with said roll moving means for automatically disconnecting the same from said power shaft when the roll reaches operative position.

13. In a machine of the class described a plurality of cooperating rolls, means for normally retaining one of said rolls in a definite position, means for yieldingly urging another of said rolls against the first mentioned roll, trip means adapted to release said first mentioned roll, means for quickly carrying said roll away from said second mentioned roll upon operation of said trip means, means for driving said rolls, and means operable by said driving means for restoring said first mentioned roll to its normal definite position.

14. In a machine of the class described a plurality of cooperating rolls, means for normally retaining one of said rolls in a definite position, means for yieldingly urging another of said rolls against the first mentioned roll, trip means adapted to release said first mentioned roll, means for quickly carrying said roll away from said second mentioned roll upon operation of said trip means, means for driving said rolls, and means operable by said driving means for restoring said first mentioned roll to its normal definite position and simultaneously restoring said retaining means to its efl ective position.

15. In a machine of the class described a plurality of cooperating rolls, means for nor-. mally retaining one of said rolls in a definite position, means for yieldingly urging another of said rolls against the first mentioned roll, a trip means adapted to release said first mentioned roll, means for quickly carrying said roll away from said second mentioned roll upon operation of for driving said rolls, means operable by said driving means for restoring said first mentioned roll to its normal definite position, and means for disablin said restoring means when said roll reaches 1ts normal definite position.

16. In a machine of the class described a pair of rolls, means normally pressing said rolls together, means tending to render said first mentioned .means inefiective, a detent normally disabling said second mentioned means, normally operable means for releasing said detent, operatingmeans for driving said rolls, and means operable at will for causing said operating means to restore the parts to their normal conditions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 24th day of February, 1928.

' THOMAS W. BEI-IAN.

said trip means, means 

